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Get the Facts FAQ
Get the Facts FAQ
FAQ
How will the State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund be financed?
Prop. 21 will give California vehicles free admission to the state parks in exchange for a new $18 vehicle license fee, which will be specifically dedicated to state parks and wildlife conservation. The surcharge will apply to most California vehicles, including motorcycles and recreational vehicles, and will be collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles as part of the annual vehicle license fee. It will not apply to larger commercial vehicles (those subject to the Commercial Vehicle Registration Act), mobile homes or permanent trailers.
Read more: How will the State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund be financed?
Why is a Trust Fund needed to protect state parks and conserve wildlife?
California state parks and wildlife are priceless public assets and vital legacies for our children and grandchildren. But today, state parks are in peril because they have no reliable source of funding. Twice in the past two years, state parks were on the brink of being shut down because of California’s budget cuts. In 2008, 48 parks were proposed for closure, and in 2009, 220 of state’s 278 parks (80 percent of the entire system) were proposed for closure. In each case, a last-minute budget reprieve kept the parks open. Last year, nearly 150 state parks were shut down part-time or suffered deep service reductions because of budget cuts, and more closure proposals are expected this year because of the state’s continuing budget woes.Why is a Trust Fund needed if most of the parks remain open?
More closure proposals and cutbacks are anticipated because the state expects a $20.7 billion shortfall through 2011. Moreover, budget cuts have already starved state parks of the reliable funding source needed to ensure these valuable state assets are protected and preserved for future generations. California state parks are severely behind in needed maintenance and repairs with restrooms, visitor centers, trails and other facilities badly deteriorating.Read more: Why is a Trust Fund needed if most of the parks remain open?
What impact has the “budget rollercoaster” had on the state parks?
California’s parks, once considered the best in the nation, are falling apart because of chronic underfunding. Less than 4 percent of the state budget is dedicated to parks and conservation. With so little money to maintain these vital assets, roofs and sewage systems in state parks leak. Bridges have collapsed, trails are washed out, picnic tables are rotting, campgrounds are shuttered and buildings and structures throughout the system are badly deteriorated.Read more: What impact has the “budget rollercoaster” had on the state parks?
How many state parks does California have?
California leads the nation in the number of state parks with 278 spread across nearly 1.5 million acres. According to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, California parks have more than 280 miles of coastline, 625 miles of lake and river frontage, nearly 15,000 campsites and 3,000 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. The state parks represent the diversity of California, ranging from the last stands of primeval redwood forests to vast expanses of fragile desert; from the lofty Sierra Nevada to the broad sandy beaches of our southern coast, and from the opulence of Hearst Castle to the vestiges of colonial Russia.Where are California state parks located?
California parks stretch from the northern border with Oregon to the Southern California border with Mexico. A state park can easily be found within driving distance of almost anywhere in California. To find parks by the region in which they’re located, please visit this page.What are the economic benefits of state parks?
State parks are essential to California’s economy. Every year, they attract millions of tourists, who spend $4.32 billion annually in park-related expenditures in California, according to a recent study. It found state park visitors spend an average of $57.63 in surrounding communities per visit. They generate so much economic activity that every dollar spent on state parks creates another $2.35 for California’s treasury.How do state parks improve public health?
Every year, there are nearly 80 million visits to state parks, where the abundance of outdoor activities entices visitors to exercise, fight obesity and lead healthier lifestyles. Exercise helps maintain healthy bones and muscles. It builds cardiovascular fitness and relieves the psychological and physiological stress linked to poor health. Parks also contribute to public health by protecting forests and natural areas that are sources of clean air and water and by combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gases.
How do state parks protect California’s cultural heritage?
State parks are responsible for the preservation and protection of much of California’s history and culture. Of the state’s 278 parks, 235 contain significant cultural features, representing the wide diversity of California’s population in traditional tribal buildings, historic structures and communities, prehistoric archaeological sites and cultural landscapes. The state parks include missions, forts, ghost towns, cemeteries, churches, temples, lighthouses, gold mines and much more.Read more: How do state parks protect California’s cultural heritage?
How do state parks protect California’s natural resources?
More than nine out of every 10 acres of land in the state parks system are managed specifically to protect the natural resources located there. The California Department of Parks and Recreation supports the most diverse assembly of natural resources of any state agency. It protects underwater reserves, beaches, dunes, marshes, lakes, streams, rivers, forests, deserts and much more. The state parks preserve examples of nearly half the rare habitat types in California, including coastal prairie, valley oak woodland and Mendocino pygmy cypress forest. They are second only to the national forests in the number (162) of endangered, rare and threatened species they protect. (The national forests have 14 times more acreage than state parks.)How do state parks contribute to education?
State parks are the second only to the public education system in the educational opportunities they provide. More than 500,000 schoolchildren participate in interpretive programs in state parks. State parks serve as outdoor classrooms that help bring to life concepts from science, history, math and environmental education. In addition to school-based educational programs, state parks offer opportunities for youth to learn life skills and ways to be stewards of natural resources through programs like Junior Rangers and Junior Lifeguards.
How much new revenue will be generated by Prop. 21 each year?
Prop. 21 will generate approximately $500 million in annual revenues, based on an estimate of about 28 million vehicles being subject to the State Park Access Pass surcharge in the first year.What impact will the State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund Act of 2010 have on the state budget?
With a new dedicated and reliable funding stream, state parks no longer will need to receive a portion of their funding from the state’s General Fund, freeing up approximately $130 million to prevent cuts to other vital services – like schools, health care and transportation.How will the State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund be distributed?
The California Legislature will annually appropriate Trust Fund revenues. Under law, the Trust Fund will be invested as follows:- 85 percent to the California Department of Parks and Recreation to repair, operate, manage, maintain and develop state parks. Out of the department’s funding, approximately $20 million a year (by law, 4% of the Trust Fund) will be used for grants to public agencies for the operation, management and restoration of urban river parkways, with priority placed on the most underserved urban communities
- 7 percent to the California Department of Fish and Game to manage and operate wildlife refuges, ecological reserves and other lands it owns or manages
- 4 percent to the Ocean Protection Council for marine wildlife conservation and the protection of coastal waters
- 2 percent to state conservancies for park and wildlife habitat
- 2 percent to the Wildlife Conservation Board for grants to local public agencies for wildlife conservation
How can Californians be certain the Trust Fund is invested responsibly?
Prop. 21 has tough fiscal and accountability safeguards to protect the voters’ investment in parks and natural resources, and the Legislature could not reallocate the Trust Fund for other uses.Read more: How can Californians be certain the Trust Fund is invested responsibly?
Why use a surcharge on California vehicles to protect parks and conserve wildlife?
A State Park Access Pass surcharge on vehicles is appropriate because day-use fees in state parks are, in essence, parking surcharges that are paid for each vehicle entering the park. By assessing a surcharge on California vehicles – except larger commercial vehicles, mobile homes and permanent trailers – the State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund Act of 2010 will allow Californians to pay the surcharge annually and have the benefit of accessing and parking in state parks for FREE year-round.Read more: Why use a surcharge on California vehicles to protect parks and conserve wildlife?
Why should all Californians pay this surcharge?
All occupants of California vehicles subject to the State Park Access Pass surcharge will benefit from FREE YEAR-ROUND DAY-USE ADMISSION to state parks throughout the year. Also, all Californians will benefit from the creation of a stable, reliable and adequate source of funding for state parks and wildlife conservation that will ensure these priceless public assets are protected and that the parks are open and available for all Californians today and in the future.Why not use an “opt-in” program to fund the parks – like other states have?
Limiting the State Park Access Pass surcharge to only those Californians who choose to pay it – through an “opt-in” program – will continue the rollercoaster of state parks and wildlife conservation funding that has caused the more than $1 billion backlog of critical repairs to state parks and left the parks vulnerable to closure. By placing a surcharge on all California licensed vehicles, Prop. 21 will assure state parks, wildlife, natural lands and other natural resources are protected and accessible for future generations to enjoy as Californians and visitors do today.When will the program go into effect?
If California voters approve Prop. 21 in November, the act will go into effect Jan. 1, 2011, with the imposition of the $18 surcharge for the State Park Access Pass and the beginning of year-round FREE DAY-USE ADMISSION to all state parks for vehicles subject to the surcharge and all occupants of those vehicles.
Who supports Prop. 21?
Supporters include The Nature Conservancy, AFSCME California PEOPLE, California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, California Labor Federation, League of California Afterschool Providers, California Travel Industry Association, California Alliance for Retired Americans, California Lodging Industry Association, California Nurses Association, Public Health Institute, California Action for Healthy Kids, Latino Health Access, California State Conference of the NAACP, San Diego Film Commission, California State Lifeguard Association, Sierra Club California, Peninsula Open Space Trust, Audubon California, California State Parks Foundation, Save the Redwoods League and many others. Visit http://yesforstateparks.com/supporters/supporters-list for a full list of Prop. 21 supporters.